User interface (UI) design, as distinct from user interface (UX) design, deals with visual elements like page layouts, colors, and fonts. While both UX and UI designers must be able to collaborate and focus on intuitive navigation, their roles are often separate.

You might decide to learn UI design, UX design, or a combination of the two, a role typically defined as a UX/UI (or UI/UX) Designer. Learning UI design prepares you for positions with titles like:

UI Design vs. UX Design

If you’re interested in web design, you’ll want to understand more about the differences between UI design and UX design. Although there is some overlap between the two roles, they can be separate.

A search for UI Designer jobs, however, often results in finding listings like UX Designer, Senior UX Writer/Content Designer, and UX Researcher. Why?

The simple answer is that many companies combine the roles when they need UX design. Their expectation is that, if you know UX design, you also know UI design. A comparable search for UX design results in listings like UX/UI Designer and Lead UX Designer—no listings for UI Designer.

UX & UI Design Certificate: Live & Hands-on, In NYC or Online, 0% Financing, 1-on-1 Mentoring, Free Retake, Job Prep. Named a Top Bootcamp by Forbes, Fortune, & Time Out. Noble Desktop. Learn More.

Drilling Down Into UI Design

In some companies, a UX Designer collaborates with a UI Designer; in others, the UX/UI Designer is one individual. Learning UI design apart from UX training means you’ll specialize in areas like: 

  • Color
  • Typography
  • Animation
  • Design patterns
  • Branding design

On the other hand, a UX Designer will specialize in areas like:

If it all sounds confusing, take heart: even in the web design industry itself, there’s much disagreement about how separate or combined these roles should be. For practical purposes, understand that a true UX/UI Designer position requires wearing two hats on an ongoing basis.

Four Basic Approaches to Learning

Because UX/UI design is such a complex area of expertise, you should plan your course of study with care—especially if you intend to focus on UI design but not UX design. 

Design professionals can build their portfolios over time, and there are numerous paths to design positions, from UI Designer to Design Director. Consider the pros and cons of these four approaches to studying UI design.

  • Videos, Articles, and Other Free Resources - Of all your assets, time is the most valuable. You have a limited amount of time to learn, and free resources like YouTube videos and articles can only provide so much information…some of which may not be the best advice. Still, it’s a good way to start learning, and Noble Desktop’s Tech Blog is a great place to begin. You should also explore tools like InVision, Marvel, and Figma, which you can use for free on a trial or even permanent basis.
  • College or University - Degree programs typically run two to four years, and few schools offer degrees specific to UI/UX design. A UI Designer with a formal degree most likely has one in graphic design or digital design. Although these may be excellent programs, they don’t necessarily provide all the tools required for a UI position.
  • Bootcamps or Certificate Programs - To get the most bang for their buck, many students and professionals today choose bootcamps or certificate programs to get hands-on experience in an immersive environment. Depending on the location, schools may offer these classes online or in-person, or both.

Selecting a Bootcamp

UI design is so often conflated with UX design, you may prefer to enroll in a course that offers UX and UI essentials. Among the most comprehensive programs is the UX & UI Design Certificate from Noble Desktop. This portfolio-based bootcamp covers both UI and UX principles, as well as in-depth training in tools like Sketch and Adobe XD, among others.

If your mind's made up to stick with UI design, consider enrolling in Noble’s Digital Design Certificate. This immersive program covers UI design with Adobe XD, Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator. You’ll also learn principles essential to UI design, like color theory and layout.

Beyond the Classroom

You may be able to find UI design work before, during, and after you receive formal training. Certificate programs like the UX & UI Design Certificate or Digital Design Certificate give you the knowledge and practical skills you’ll need, as well as a portfolio essential to applying for design positions. Consider the following options for working in the field.

  • Part-Time or Contract Work - Many companies offer part-time design positions, and some hire UI Designers on a contract or part-time basis. Check online networking platforms like LinkedIn, job boards like Indeed or ZipRecruiter, and staffing agencies like Randstad, Adecco, or Kelly Services.
  • Remote Work - If you’re looking for full-time or part-time employment, remote work is an increasingly popular option for many tech workers. The search engines of sites like Indeed often allow for the word “remote” as part of keyword searches.
  • Internships - Like contract and part-time work, internships are another great way for new design pros to gain experience. Some of these are paid positions, but always read descriptions thoroughly to be sure. You can also use “intern” or “internship” as keywords in job site search engines.
  • Full-Time Positions - The primary goal for most design professionals, full-time permanent roles typically require multiple tools and disciplines. Because UI design is so closely aligned with web design and UX design, search engines on job sites often conflate them. You’ll have to sort through results like UX Researcher and UX Writer if you specialize in UI design itself; however, you may also find appropriate positions under UI development as well as design.

Helpful Resources for UI Designers

While there are many tools appropriate for both UX and UI design, like Figma, Axure, and Marvel, fewer resources help UI Designers alone. Here are some excellent sites every UI design professional should check out:

  • UpLabs - An excellent resource for design inspiration of all kinds, UpLabs features iOS, Android, and other web UI kits, along with templates, mockups, and other resources.
  • Mockplus - Mockplus offers a free trial for design pros. It includes templates, plugins for essential tools like Photoshop and Sketch, and a private cloud solution for collaborative design efforts.
  • Dribbble - Dribbble hosts a great place to showcase design work. Their marketplace section features a variety of reasonably priced 3D models, responsive themes and templates, and other tools.
  • HackingUI - HackingUI provides articles, podcasts, and a newsletter for UI Designers.
  • Icons8 - This site offers free icons, design tools, illustrations, photos, and other resources for developers and designers of all types.

From icons to typography, you can find numerous resources online as you build your portfolio. Whether you choose a career as a UI/UX Designer, a Digital Designer, or Design Director, the knowledge and skills you gain can benefit you in multiple roles along the way.